R U S 308 S I A I In E U R O P E:
P opula- ' Of this population Mr. T o o k e about three millions and
' TI0K' ' a half to Siberia, o r Afiatic Raffia, which contains the fivergbvernments
' o f Perm, Ufa, Kolhyvan, Tobollk, and Irk u tfk ; but. BermdsbRfelf fi.-
- t-uated on the European fide o f the Uraliari mountain'S,’fi&, th a t' wet might
: perhaps allow even 335000400.0 for the population ,of European Ruffia.
■’Colonies, Ruffia being a ftate new in maritime affairs, cannot boaft o f any ‘colonies',
n o r can this name be applied to a im all eftablilhment or two in the
. eaftern parts o f Siberia. B u t on the'Ruffian armies a great part o f the
fate o f Europe and A-fia muft depend, and the fubjedt o f courfe defcrves
p a rticu la r.attention. Mr. Tooke feftimates the whole amount o f . the
Ruffian tfoopS at 600,000-; o f which 5 0 0 ,000 m ay be efteemed' effec-
. tive. But it is fuppofed th a t n o t lefs th a n 150,000 are neceffary in the
garrifons, fcattered over this v a ft-and heterogeneous empire-, fo that- i f
Ruffia fent forth, h e r ■whole military force, it would ha rdly exceed
3 5 0.000, o f w h ich about 30,000 might be Gozaks. f T h e Ruffian
troons are remarkable fo r a k in d o f fteady fanaticifm,. which renders
their retreat almoft impoffible ; but th e y are more accuftomed to. open
and diredt combat, th an to the- grand manoeuvres o f w an . I n weight
’■and eoDfillenee they fomewhat referable the. Spartan phalanx, which
was forced to yield to the fuperioiv agility and rapidity o f the Roman
. legu>p.
Notj. . T h e Ruffian- navy confifts o f feveral detached fleets, employed in the
remote feas on which the’ Empire borders at different extremities^. T h e
chief fleet is o f courfe .that o f the Baltic, which confifts' o f ab o u t th irty -
fix - fhtps . o f 'the line. T h a t in-the- Eu x in e, or Black fea, ;at. th e
harbours o f ‘Sevaftopol, and Kherfon, was 'computed a t 12 fhips o f the
line, b u t n o t o f a high-rate, as th e E u x ih e affords no , great depth o f
„w ate r; b u t there are many frigates,; gallics, chebecks, and gun-boats.
T h e fleet of gallics in th e Baltic, in 1.789, was eftimated at 1 i.o.,.;- T h e
Ruffians are ra th e r averfe to a fea-faring life ; and there is fcarcely any
profpedt o f this Empire ever becoming atgreat m aritim e power..: ,
Xmnaes. T h e revenues- o f Ruffia; are fuppofed:to-amount- to about .50,000,00.0.
6 f rubles;; w h ic h , v a lu in g th e ruble at four fbillings, will be equal,to
10.000. 000}. fterling,-: The national debt .is fuppofed to am o u n t .to .little
d r nothing.
: m 1 1 1 . 1 m w m
c H A P. II. P O L I T I C A L. » G E O G R A P H Y . 309
- W ith all thefe advantages it is no wonder that the political importance, PouncAt
. . .. 1 -f ° , .■ I m ïo r t - and relations o f Ruffia are f o , preponderant in Europe, and Aha. In anCe , &c.
Europe her recent acquifitiohs have contributed1 to render he? more and
more formidable. It is fortunate th a t the powerful dominions, o f Pruffia,
and Auftria, are interpofed between Ruffia and the German Empire,
elfe the'liberties o f Europe would, be: endangered, j and perhaps totally
crulhed, by a n ew flood o f barbarians iffuing from the fame fources
with th o ft which formerly deluged th e civilized world. If -th e Ruffian
empiré be n o t divided, there is room to predict th a t another Macedbn
will fuh'due another Greece. -Poland has been devoured ; Denmark and
Sweden may be confidered as fubj eft-allies ; and i f the- whole force o f
Ruffia, v^ern bent ...againft mithet Auftria, op Pruffia, it is h a rdly tp ^ e conceived
that the Ihoek could be withftood. It would certainly be for the
intereft o f Europe . that the Ruffian, forpe fhould be diverted towards
Alia, that b y extending h e r dominions in th a t quarter her flrength may- ģ
be ftill more difperfed, when probably a diviflon o f the Empire would,
commence, to the lad in g advantage o f the other continental powers. As-
th e Gre ek religion prevails among th e Chriftians o f Greece, and Afia„
Ruffia would in them find more faithful fubjefts^thaa among the catholics,
and proteftants o f Europe,, .k